1000 Ideas by 100 Fashion Designers

Estrella Archs 89

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After graduating

with honors from the

prestigious Central

Saint Martins College

of Arts and Design

in London, Catalan

designer Estrella

Archs was given the

opportunity to travel

and work for the leading

 rms in the world of

fashion, such as Hussein

Chalayan in London,

Nina Ricci and Cacharel

in Paris, Emilio Pucci

for Christian Lacroix in

Florence, and Prada in

Milan, before setting up

her own label. Estrella’s

designs combine new

and clean forms with a

highly developed sense

of femininity, sensuality,

and poetry. Their

apparent simplicity is

the expression of an

art that intensi es the

qualities of a woman and

the impact she leaves

wherever she goes. Her

delicate pieces can be

found in boutiques in

Paris, Barcelona, and

Kuwait.

Estrella Archs

www.estrellaarchs.com

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231 INSPIRATION. My inspiration comes

from today’s women and their lives, along

with sunsets, starry skies, silence, the wind,

children, saints, and mad people.

232 W

ORKPLACE. Emilia is my

mannequin; she has nearly always traveled

with me on every occasion. I like to work

in a detached and harmonious atmosphere;

my studio is like a dance school. My

drawing table is somewhat rustic, a stone

slab, and everything I need at a given

moment is on it.

233 R

EFERENCES. I think of active

women in the world who are aware of their

lives, women with a sense of humor and

elegance, sensitivity and sobriety, who are

surprising and discreet.

234 D

EVELOPING A COLLECTION.

Depending on the tone of the collection, I

can do it straight on the mannequin, with

a sketch, by means of a collage, or with a

suggestive splash of paint.

235 M

ATERIALS. I use natural fabrics,

but I also use the most technically

advanced Japanese fabrics. I buy cloth all

over the world. It all depends on the concept

of the collection at the time. Natural fabrics

are magic. Their contact with the skin is

amazing, and this can affect one’s state of

mind, smell, perspiration, and relations

with others.

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Estrella Archs 91

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237 TRADITIONAL MANUFACTURING VS.

EXPERIMENTATION. I try to design new

things, but with the weight and wisdom

of the classics. My signature piece is called

Monade, and is an original silhouette.

238 B

RAND VA L U E S . Being honest.

239 I

S FASHION ART? I make dresses

inspired by the art of living life.

240 S

ALES. For a collection to sell well

you have to believe in it; there are no rules

to de ne what is commercial on the market.

236

P

HILOSOPHY. I feel I have to give the best

of myself at all times and contribute to

women’s lives on a personal and social level.

Being a designer is a great responsibility.

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© Eric García

241 INSPIRATION. We think of themes

that appeal to us, like the identities in the

“Identities” collection, or the theme of

changing looks in the “Mutant Beauty”

collection. The latter was inspired by a

television show where contestants were

given a radical makeover with cosmetic

surgery to make them happier. Themes are

like a box of creative information where

you can pull out forms, prints, colors, and

illustrations. They’re essential.

242 D

EVELOPING A COLLECTION. I stick

everything up on a huge board on the wall

to see the colors, fabrics, and forms; then I

design each piece one at a time.

243 M

ATERIALS. I choose fabrics

according to the concept of the collection,

what I want to convey, the weight, the form

it gives...I never use very synthetic fabrics

that make people feel bad.

244 T

RADITIONAL MANUFACTURING VS.

EXPERIMENTATION. A mixture. The best

thing is to experiment starting from

tradition.

245 B

RAND VA L U E S . Fun, certain

exclusivity, and being different.

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